公开(公告)号：US20240332029A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-03

申请号：US18191098

申请日：2023-03-28

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Du Zhang ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/033

CPC classification number: H01L21/31144 ,  H01L21/02211 ,  H01L21/0332 ,  H01L21/0337 ,  H01L21/31116

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate that includes: flowing a fluorocarbon, a metal halide, and dihydrogen (H2) into a plasma processing chamber, the plasma processing chamber configured to hold a substrate including a dielectric layer including silicon oxide as an etch target and a patterned hardmask including polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) over the dielectric layer; while flowing the gases, generating a plasma in the plasma processing chamber; and forming a high aspect ratio feature by exposing the substrate to the plasma to etch a recess in the dielectric layer, where a metal-containing passivation layer is formed over the patterned hardmask during the exposing.

公开(公告)号：US20240128089A1

公开(公告)日：2024-04-18

申请号：US17967996

申请日：2022-10-18

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Mingmei Wang ,  Du Zhang

IPC: H01L21/308

CPC classification number: H01L21/3081 ,  H01L21/3086

Abstract: Embodiments of improved processes and methods that provide selective etching of silicon nitride are disclosed herein. More specifically, a cyclic, two-step dry etch process is provided to selectively etch silicon nitride layers formed on a substrate, while protecting oxide layers formed on the same substrate. The cyclic, two-step dry etch process sequentially exposes the substrate to: (1) a hydrogen plasma to modify exposed surfaces of the silicon nitride layer and the oxide layer to form a modified silicon nitride surface layer and a modified oxide surface layer, and (2) a halogen plasma to selectively etch silicon nitride by removing the modified silicon nitride surface layer without removing the modified oxide surface layer. The oxide layer is protected from etching during the removal step (i.e., step 2) by creating a crystallized water layer on the oxide layer during the surface modification step (i.e., step 1).

公开(公告)号：US20240112919A1

公开(公告)日：2024-04-04

申请号：US17956089

申请日：2022-09-29

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Du Zhang ,  Maju Tomura ,  Koki Mukaiyama ,  Tomohiko Niizeki ,  Yoshihide Kihara ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01L21/308

CPC classification number: H01L21/3081 ,  H01L21/3086

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate that includes: flowing dioxygen (O2) and a hydrogen-containing gas into a plasma processing chamber that is configured to hold the substrate, the substrate including an organic layer and a patterned etch mask, the hydrogen-containing gas including dihydrogen (H2), a hydrocarbon, or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2); generating an oxygen-rich plasma while flowing the gases; maintaining a temperature of the substrate in the plasma processing chamber between −150° C. and −50° C.; and while maintaining the temperature, exposing the substrate to the oxygen-rich plasma to form a recess in the organic layer.

公开(公告)号：US20240112888A1

公开(公告)日：2024-04-04

申请号：US17937179

申请日：2022-09-30

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Du Zhang ,  Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Masahiko Yokoi ,  Mingmei Wang ,  Yoshihide Kihara

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/311

CPC classification number: H01J37/3244 ,  H01L21/31116 ,  H01L21/31144 ,  H01J37/32091 ,  H01J37/32724 ,  H01J2237/2001 ,  H01J2237/332 ,  H01J2237/3341 ,  H01J2237/3345 ,  H01J2237/3346

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate that includes: flowing an etch gas, O2, and an adsorbate precursor into a plasma processing chamber that is configured to hold the substrate including a silicon-containing dielectric layer and a patterned mask layer, the etch gas including hydrogen and fluorine; generating a plasma in the plasma processing chamber while flowing the etch gas, O2, and the adsorbate precursor, the adsorbate precursor being oxidized to form an adsorbate; and patterning, with the plasma, the silicon-containing dielectric layer on the substrate, where the adsorbate forms a sidewall passivation layer.

公开(公告)号：US20220375759A1

公开(公告)日：2022-11-24

申请号：US17327305

申请日：2021-05-21

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yunho Kim ,  Du Zhang ,  Shihsheng Chang ,  Mingmei Wang ,  Andrew Metz

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate includes performing a cyclic process including a plurality of cycles, where the cyclic process includes: forming, in a plasma processing chamber, a passivation layer over sidewalls of a recess in a carbon-containing layer, by exposing the substrate to a first gas including boron, silicon, or aluminum, the carbon-containing layer being disposed over a substrate, purging the plasma processing chamber with a second gas including a hydrogen-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, or molecular nitrogen, and exposing the substrate to a plasma generated from the second gas, where each cycle of the plurality of cycles extends the recess vertically into the carbon-containing layer.

公开(公告)号：US11189499B2

公开(公告)日：2021-11-30

申请号：US16802554

申请日：2020-02-27

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Du Zhang ,  Mingmei Wang ,  Aelan Mosden ,  Matthew Flaugh

IPC: H01L21/3213

Abstract: Methods for the atomic layer etch (ALE) of tungsten or other metal layers are disclosed that use in part sequential oxidation and reduction of tungsten/metal layers to achieve target etch parameters. For one embodiment, a metal layer is first oxidized to form a metal oxide layer and an underlying metal layer. The metal oxide layer is then reduced to form a surface metal layer and an underlying metal oxide layer. The surface metal layer is then removed to leave the underlying metal oxide layer and the underlying metal layer. Further, the oxidizing, reducing, and removing processes can be repeated to achieve a target etch depth. In addition, a target etch rate can also achieved for each process cycle of oxidizing, reducing, and removing.

公开(公告)号：US11158517B2

公开(公告)日：2021-10-26

申请号：US16739889

申请日：2020-01-10

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Du Zhang ,  Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01L21/3105 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/3065

Abstract: A method for selective plasma etching of silicon oxide relative to silicon nitride. The method includes a) providing a substrate containing a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film, b) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited treatment gas containing 1) H2 and 2) HF, F2, or both HF and F2, to form a silicon oxide surface layer with reduced oxygen content on the silicon oxide film and form an ammonium salt layer on the silicon nitride film, c) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited halogen-containing gas that reacts with and removes the silicon oxide surface layer from the silicon oxide film, and d) repeating steps b) and c) at least once to further selectively etch the silicon oxide film relative to the ammonium salt layer on the silicon nitride film. The ammonium salt layer may be removed when the desired etching has been achieved.

公开(公告)号：US11152217B2

公开(公告)日：2021-10-19

申请号：US16902582

申请日：2020-06-16

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Du Zhang ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01L21/306 ,  H01L21/3105

Abstract: A method for selective etching of silicon oxide relative to silicon nitride includes exposing a substrate to a first gas that forms a first layer on the silicon oxide film and a second layer on the silicon nitride film, where the first gas contains boron, aluminum, or both boron and aluminum, exposing the substrate to a nitrogen-containing gas that reacts with the first layer to form a first nitride layer on the silicon oxide film and reacts with the second layer to form a second nitride layer on the silicon nitride film, where a thickness of the second nitride layer is greater than a thickness of the first nitride layer. The method further includes exposing the substrate to an etching gas that etches the first nitride layer and silicon oxide film, where the second nitride layer protects the silicon nitride film from etching by the etching gas.